Saturday, August 13, 2005

Yesterday, two weeks after newspapers and bloggers began reporting on the loan scandal engulfing liberal talk-radio network Air America, Raleigh's News & Observer got around to reporting it, sort of. (Loans to Air America under scrutiny, Aug. 13. Pg. 6A). The report began:

The state attorney general's office and the city's Department of Investigation are looking into whether a boys and girls club serving poor children and ailing elderly people in the Bronx had improper financial dealings, including loans to the Air America radio network, state and city officials said yesterday. (The loans tolal almost $900,000.00. - JinC)

The N&O's sort of report is based on a The New York Times report which ran the previous day.

Why is the N&O's report a sort of?

For one thing, readers aren't told why The Times and the N&O delayed for almost 2 weeks reporting a scandal every other New York City daily, and newspapers and columnists across the country were reporting. Neither paper even bothered to inform readers of their delays.

This N&O paragraph in more sort of reporting:

Jim Grossman, a spokesman for Gloria Wise, said the club had given Air America about $875,000. He said the money had been placed in an escrow account and would eventually be repaid to the club.

What escrow account? Where? Who controls it? Is anything signed? If yes, by whom? Did New York City's Department of Investigation (DOI) and the Attorney General's office approve the account?

The last I read about any escrow account, NYC's DOI was complaining that all Air America had done was place $50.000.00 in an escrow account controlled by Air America's lawyer.

Updates, NYT and N&O? Investigative journalism, anyone?

Don't N&O readers deserve more than a delayed sort of report, Editor Sill?

"I don't know why he did it," Mr. Franken said, according to a transcript of the broadcast made by the Department of Investigation. "I don't know where the money went. I don't know if it was used for operations. I think he was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul."

Michelle responded:

Here's what Franken actually said (via audio at Brainster's Blog and transcript at Brian Maloney, who busted this story wide open in the blogosphere the Times sneers at):

"I don't know why they did it, and I don't know where the money went, I don't know if it was used for operations [softer, especially fast], which I imagineit was. I think he was robbing Peter to pay Paul." (Bold added by Michelle)

Look at the difference those bold words make!

Yesterday, how many MSM "real journalists" would have believed Michelle had the quote right and the "journal of record" had it wrong?

As I reported here on Thursday night, New York Times reporter Alan Feuer botched the Al Franken quote in his article about the Air America loan. To its credit, the New York Times has run a correction acknowledging the error:

An article yesterday about state and city investigations of a loan made by a Bronx social service agency to the liberal radio network Air America quoted incorrectly from comments made on the air by Al Franken, the host of an Air America program. Referring to Evan M. Cohen, a former official of the network whom Mr. Franken accused of having engineered the loan, from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club, Mr. Franken said: "I don't know why they did it, and I don't know where the money went. I don't know if it was used for operations, which I imagine it was. I think he was robbing Peter to pay Paul." (He did not say: "I don't know why he did it. I don't know where the money went. I don't know if it was used for operations. I think he was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.")

The Times still has not corrected its false assertion that the Franken quote came from a transcript of the broadcast provided by the NYC Department of Investigation. Anyone who still cares can write a letter of complaint to reporter Alan Feuer (feuer@nytimes.com), spokeswoman Catherine Mathis (mathis@nytimes.com), spokesman Toby Usnik (usnik@nytimes.com), and ombudsman Byron Calame (public@nytimes.com).

Nice work, Michelle. You make every blogger who believes in fair, full and accurate reporting proud.

But it's even worse than that for Sill and her team. All North Carolinians know there are a handful of people here who are far more important than even the governor. And Sill says they too are now brushing-off the N&O:

UNC basketball coach Roy Williams … wouldn't talk to N&O reporters.

And:

N.C. State football Coach Chuck Amato wouldn't grant us an interview — on the phone or in person.

Sill ends with this:

While working on this column, I sought to hear (Governor) Easley’s side of things. I put in a request to interview the governor or his representative on Monday afternoon, noting I was on deadline. The response? No interview with the governor or anyone else. Instead, I received a lengthy email statement from Cari Boyce in the governor's press office saying that our reporters are free to chase down the governor at public events (as they do as often as they can) and ask him questions.

Thanks, Ms. Boyce, but that's not what I asked.

Well, we don’t know what the folks Sill’s talking about would say to us; but we sure know Sill is in foot-stamping mode.

That said, I find myself asking a question: Why is Sill so upset with people she feels don't respond to her and her staff's questions when she hasn't responded to important questions and comments readers posted days ago at her blog?

Examples:

Many readers saw Sill’s “if a story is reported and distributed we will look at publishing it” remark as an excuse or worse for not reporting on Air America.

One of them noted:

On March 31, 2004 (you published) an A1 front page piece entitled "New liberal network takes on conservative kings of radio" on Air America by James Rosen of your Washington Bureau.

So, apparently you have no problem with reporting on Air America on your front page AND doing your own independent reporting on it when it is a good, positive happy piece. However, when it is not so happy, it doesn't even make it into the paper, much less A1.

Some of the following is true; some is spoof. I bet you can guess which is which. If you're not sure, here's a big hint: The NYT is finally reporting about the Air America loan scandal.__________________________________________________

Blogger Michelle Malkin is reporting that The New York Times, America's highest circulation liberal daily, will announce in Friday's paper that a sister liberal media organization, talk-radio network Air America, is the subject of investigations by both New York City's Department of Investigation and New York State's Attorney General.

The investigations deal with bizarre loan(s) totaling $875,000.00 made by a community service organization to one of its board members, who at the time was also an executive with Air America. Some money paid for the executive's personal expenses, but investigators believe most want to Air America.

Air America talk-show host Al Franken, self-identified as a scandal victim, seems to have suffered no loss in public approval because of the scandal.

According to a poll completed just this evening by The Pew Center for Liberal Humbuggery, Franken's approval rating is statistically the same as those of America's two most popular liberal icons, Sen. Ted Kennedy and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

The Times' announcement follows by almost two weeks reports on the scandal by every other New York City daily.

Asked to comment on The Times' delay, Malkin said only, "Well, that's The Times for you, isn't it?"

But I need more time to pull it all together. So please check back tomorrow after 5 PM Eastern.

Now, please read on. Thanks; and other important items follow.

Heartfelt thanks go to all of you who've pitched in and helped put Sill's "do not find" claim out in the blogosphere. You've given clear context to what Sill is saying. It will be hard for anyone to misunderstand her position.

Raleigh News & Observer news editor and blogger Melanie Sill and I have had a few back-and-forths regarding whether readers' complaints of liberal bias in the N&O’s news columns are valid. You can guess what each of us believes. But right now that’s not important.

What’s important is that Sill says she can’t find the Air America scandal story, so the N&O can’t even consider reporting on it. That was after other readers had alerted her to the story, and I had e-mailed her regarding a post which included the following paragraph:

The scandal has been widely reported in all New York City newspapers except the liberal Times. For instance, here and here. National newspaper columnists have reported on it. Here’s Mark Steyn’s column. Bloggers have reported, with Michelle Malkin and Ed Morrissey on top of the story every day. I just Googled “Air America loan scandal” and got more than 330,000 hits.

Here's a brief response I've sent a couple of email correspondents who accuse The N&O of liberal bias for not publishing a story on financial questions they have heard about involving Air America, the national radio network heard in the Triangle on WCHL-AM in Chapel Hill, and a charity in the Bronx. Here's what I said: "We've checked our news services in recent days and do not find this story... if a story is reported and distributed we will look at publishing it."

I'll repeat this brief response on the blog... we've checked our news services repeatedly and do not find this story. In searching blogs I find repeated references but no original reporting. Thus I'm not certain at this point what "story" exists on Air America, but if a story is reported and distributed we will look at publishing it. I'd point out that this is an example of conspiracy theories without basis. You accuse me and The N&O of bias -- where is any evidence of this?

Best regards,Melanie Sill

Well, obviously I failed to get my message across. But let’s move on.

Can any of you help Editor Sill who will "keep looking" but is "not certain at this point what 'story' exists on Air America?"

Raleigh's News & Observer is one of the two largest daily circulation newspapers in North Carolina (The Charlotte Observer is the other). The N&O is part of the McClathey news chain. So any help given Sill could have a big impact.

Readers - bloggers - journalists - please help.

I'm glad Sill is blogging and dialogues with readers. Many MSM execs won't.

At Realclearpolitics.com, author and scholar Thomas Sowell notes Senator John Kerry "has called the activation of reservists and National Guardsmen 'a backdoor draft.' " Kerry has demanded those activations stop.

In 2003, as American troops were fighting their way into Baghdad, Kerry demanded regime change in the capital city. He was, of course, talking not about Baghdad but Washington.

At the outset of the 2004 presidential campaign, Kerry called a group of businessmen "Benedict Arnolds." Shortly thereafter, he demanded people stop questioning his patriotism.

Later in the presidential campaign, Kerry called the Swift boat veterans liars. Then he demanded they stop criticizing him.

Recently, Kerry demanded the release of all records relating to Judge John Roberts' government service, including records most legal scholars say are protected by attorney-client privilege.

Come to think about it, Kerry's demanded just about everything except release of his own military records.

If you've read Al Franken's books Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Then; and listened to his harsh personal attacks on those with whom he disagrees, you may have said to yourself: "Al Franken just can't be nice to anyone."

Well, you'd be wrong about that.

An article in today's New York Post reveals a soft-spoken Franken who's sympathetic to someone he sees as a victim: himself.

AL Franken says 20,000 poor kids and old people weren't the only victims of an exec who allegedly arranged a Bronx charity's mega-buck "loan" to Air America.

"About three weeks into the life of Air America, I became an involuntary investor — I stopped being paid," Franken told listeners yesterday on WLIB (1190 AM).

It was the first time the all-liberal network's biggest star addressed at length a controversial $875,000 loan from the disgraced — and now de-funded — Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club.

Is this really a new kinder, gentler Al Frankem we're seeing? Or is he just being careful what he says concerning his former boss and friend about whom he may have to testify in a number of legal proceedings?

And what's with this Franken being victim number 20,001? He's financially very well off, unlike the kids who are among New York City's poorest.

Finally, when will Franken tell us whether he'll invite Michelle Malkin on his show; and if so, under what terms?

People I meet often seem to think we make decisions on news based on politics, either overtly or unconsciously. Instead, our framework for pursuing news is based on journalistic questions.

Sill wants readers who see a N&O liberal bias to take a kind of test:

When I've spoken with others who share this perception, I've asked them to look at the paper for a few days as if they were on the other side.

As for any readers who might still see bias, Sill says:

If you're looking for evidence of bias, you can find it.

Despite Sill’s dismissive "If you’re looking for evidence of bias, you can find it," I hope readers will take Sill’s "the other side" test.

But first Sill should give us a clearer idea of what she means by looking from "the other side."

Does she mean political leanings left and right? What constitutes looking from "the other side" for those of us who are political independents or apolitical?

Will Sill accept readers' identification of bias based both on what the N&O reports and on what it fails to report? After all, what a newspaper fails to report can be an excellent indicator of its bias.

For example, on Aug. 5 the N&O ran a pg. 2, three- column, top of the page story with photo about a dustup conservative columnist Bob Novak and Democrat political operative James Carville had on CNN which resulted in Novak’s walking off the set, and subsequently being suspended by CNN.

I’ve no problem with the N&O running a story on the Novak/Carville dustup. It’s newsworthy.

But when I read the Novak/Carville story and also know the N&O has maintained for at least 10 days a news blackout on the loan scandal engulfing liberal talk-radio network Air America, I think about new bias.

If you’re familiar with the Air America scandal, you may want to skip the following paragraph. If you count on the N&O for your news, you may want to read it.

The Air America scandal is now in its 11th day. New York City’s Department of Investigation and New York State’s Attorney General are investigating how and why a community service agency, funded primarily with government grants and charged with serving poor children and the elderly, made unsecured loans to one of its board of directors, who at the time was also an owner of Air America . At least $875,000.00 in loans is involved. Investigators have determined some of the money was spent for personal items; the rest given to financially strapped Air America. New York City will no longer provide money to the community agency. That's forced it to suspend most of its services to some of the city’s poorest children and elderly in the Bronx. Air America has issued a number of statements but they've failed to answer important questions.

The scandal has been widely reported in all New York City newspapers except the liberal Times. For instance, here and here. National newspaper columnists have reported on it. Here’s Mark Steyn’s column. Blogger have reported, with Michelle Malkin and Ed Morrissey on top of the story every day. I just Googled “Air America loan scandal” and got more than 330,000 hits.

All of that, but not one word about the scandal in Raleigh’s liberal N&O.

Besides clarifying what she means by “the other side,” I hope Editor Sill will encourage readers to identify N&O bias not just by what the paper reports, but by what it leaves out.

Yesterday, I posted an open e-mail to Franken saying I understood it’s hard for him to talk about Air America’s loan scandal. So why not invite Michelle Malkin on. She’ll present the facts and history of the scandal; then answer listeners’ questions. It’s the least his listeners deserve.

I’ve heard nothing yet from Franken. Malkin responded with “fat chance,” which I think means she’s willing to go on but feels Franken will duck and not invite her.

Meanwhile, if you know Al Franken, please ask him to get in touch with me. If he prefers, he’s of course free to call Malkin to let her know his decision.____________________________________________________________

REPLY TO COMMENT:

A commentator said Michelle Malkin's response indicated she didn't want to go on Al Franken's show.

I think her response indicated she thought there was a "fat chance" (her words) Al Franken would invite her on his show to discuss the Air America loan scandal.

I think Malkin is willing to go on.

Anyway, Malkin can tell us if she'll go on Franken's show and under what conditions.

Franken can tell us whether he'll invite her on and under what conditions.

And meanwhile, the rest of us can visit Malkin's blog and read her latest updates on the scandal.

And we can also visit Franken’s blog at Air America. Maybe one of us will be the first person to see a recent post by Franken or anyone else at Air America about the loan.

I'm going to ask Malkin if she'll promise to link on her site to anything Franken or Air America posts at theirs.